Postal workers ready to decide on strike action over shares row

By Mary Dundon, Political Reporter POSTAL workers who marched on the Dáil yesterday will decide next week if they are going to escalate their campaign for strike action.

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) want the Government to honour its commitment to give postal workers a 14.9% stake in the company. "Our national executive council will meet next Tuesday to decide what further action will be taken and I am not ruling out industrial action," said CWU head of regulatory affairs Michael Bride. The 200 postal workers and retired postal workers who marched on the Dáil yesterday were supported by Labour deputies Tommy Broughan and Sean Ryan, Green Party deputy John Gormley and Sinn Féin deputies Martin Ferris and Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. Mr Broughan, who is Labour's communications spokesman, criticised the Government for its failure to deliver on promises made to postal workers.

The CWU negotiated a transformation agreement with the Department of Communications whereby they promised to deliver improved work practices in return for the establishment of an Employee Shared Ownership Trust (ESOT) for postal workers, said Mr Broughan.